Three-dimensional product camouflage

ABSTRACT

A camouflage sheet comprises a reflector layer. The sheet has formed thereon a plurality of three-dimensional shapes. The camouflage sheet, and possibly also one or more other camouflage sheets, may be affixed to a product such as a test vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Current mechanisms for camouflaging new, test, and/or prototype products such as vehicles are inadequate. For example, given current camera technology, it is often possible for photographs to identify not only a general shape, but geometric detail of a prototype product. Existing camouflage methods, such as using painted strips and/or stencils to apply other patterns, generally with black and white shapes, do not hide a vehicle shape or geometric details. Further, present techniques for using three-dimensional mechanisms to camouflage products suffer from drawbacks, including adding weight to a product being tested, as well as altering its behavior during tests, e.g., in a wind tunnel, etc.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of sheets of a camouflage sheet prior to formation of three-dimensional shapes thereon.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the camouflage sheet of FIG. 1, following formation of three-dimensional shapes thereon.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary top view of the camouflage sheet of FIG. 1, following formation of three-dimensional shapes thereon.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary top view of a vehicle having a plurality of camouflage sheets affixed thereto.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective view of a vehicle having a plurality of camouflage sheets affixed thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An advantageous camouflage apparatus, e.g., a sheet of plastic material or the like having formed thereon three-dimensional shapes, may be applied to a product such as a vehicle, e.g., a vehicle interior and/or exterior. For example, a camouflage apparatus may be created using reflective and/or holographic plastic sheets subjected to a vacuum formation process to form three-dimensional shapes in the plastic sheets. Alternatively, the sheets could be formed via some other process, such as a combination of heat and pressure. The camouflage sheet including the sheets may be further include an adhering mechanism for being affixed to a product such as a test vehicle, e.g., the adhering mechanism being an adhesive backing or the like. Three-dimensional shapes formed in the plastic sheets may be combined with various colors, materials (e.g., creating or enhancing reflectivity with a film with interlaced foil, combining different pigments, etc.), and/or patterns to enhance a camouflage effect. In general, various combinations of materials, pigments, etc. may be used. Accordingly, when affixed to a product such as a test vehicle, the camouflage sheet may produce a specular reflection or the like that makes it difficult or impossible to accurately capture an image, e.g., a photograph, of the product. Further, the camouflage sheet may be affixed to and/or combined with other camouflage mechanisms on a product. For example, with respect to a test vehicle, a location of grill work, door-opening mechanisms, events, window and/or pillar lines, exterior lights, etc., could be disguised with mock or “dummy” parts or components that, yet further alternatively or additionally, could be further covered and/or located adjacent to the camouflage sheet.

Because the three-dimensional shapes included in the camouflage sheet extend a relatively short distance from a surface of the plastic sheet, the camouflage sheet provides benefits of three-dimensional camouflage while also providing benefits generally enjoyed with a two-dimensional sheet. For example, noise in a wind tunnel may be reduced. Further, disadvantages of three-dimensional camouflage mechanisms are avoided. For example, using a drape or mesh camouflage, e.g., made of canvas or a cloth material, may often result in noise absorption and/or altering behavior of a vehicle such as a product, e.g., in a wind tunnel, add weight and/or other undesirable or altering characteristics, etc. The camouflage sheet disclosed herein avoids these disadvantages.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of sheets of a camouflage sheet 10 prior to formation of three-dimensional shapes. As mentioned above, the camouflage sheet 10 may comprise plastic layers or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the plastic sheet 10 may include three layers, including a reflector layer 12, a reflector backing 14, and an adhesive layer 16. The reflector layer, as mentioned above, is reflective and/or holographic. Further, the term “reflective” should be understood to include, in addition to mirror-like surfaces, surfaces that include metallic flakes, aluminum, and/or other metals or surface that tend to reflect light and/or diffract and/or absorb light. Accordingly, the layer 12 can be used to camouflage a product in a photograph or video, e.g., by creating areas that are too bright or too dark to be accurately seen and/or depicted, e.g., a photographic or video image. Further, as mentioned above, the layer 12 may combine various materials, pigments, colors, metallic and/or plastic surfaces, etc.

The layers 12, 14, 16 are generally plastic, as mentioned above, e.g., may be made from an elastomeric film or the like, and may be adhered to one another using an epoxy such as is known. For example, an elastomeric film used for one or more of the layers 12, 14, 16 could be an ABS (ammonia, butyl, styrene) film, a polycarbonate film, or some other elastomeric film. Further, implementations of the plastic sheet 10 are possible that omit one or both of the layers 14, 16. For example, instead of using an adhesive layer 16 to hear the sheet 10 to a product such as a vehicle, other attachment mechanisms, e.g., magnets, glue, tape, mechanical attachment, etc., could be used. Layers 12, 14, 16 of various thicknesses, e.g., 0.5 millimeters, may be used.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the camouflage sheet 10 of FIG. 1, following formation of three-dimensional shapes 20. For example, the sheet 10 may be subjected to a vacuum formation process, where a vacuum forming machine is applied to a side of the sheet 10 including in the reflector layer 12. A mold of the vacuum forming machine may be used to create various three-dimensional shapes 20. A pattern of three-dimensional shapes 20, and/or specific shapes 20, may be randomly generated. For example, a set of one or more shapes 20 could be provided for inclusion in a vacuum formation process of the sheet 10. Some or all of the shapes 20 could be randomly selected, and/or a pattern in which various shapes 20 were deployed could be randomly selected, for inclusion on the vacuum-formed sheet 10. As mentioned above, processes other than vacuum formation, e.g., a heat process, may be used to form the shapes 20.

Shape 20 dimensions, i.e., height, length, and width, may vary, and/or may be dependent on a thickness and/or material used in one or more of the layers 12, 14, 16. For example, if a stack of layers 12, 14, 16 is 0.6 millimeters, then a shape 20 could have a height of around 2 millimeters. In general shapes 20 may have a thickness 3-4 times, or up to 10-20 times, a total thickness of layers 12, 14, 16, although for many materials it should be noted that a thickness or height with respect to the layer 12 surface of 20 times the thickness of layers 12, 14, and 16 may be too thick. In general, weight is a concern in determining a thickness of layers 12, 14, 16, and also shapes 20 should not have a height that could interfere with product performance, e.g., when deployed on an exterior of a vehicle 22.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary top view of the camouflage sheet 10 of FIG. 1, following formation of three-dimensional shapes 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a variety of one or more shapes 20 may be included on the sheet 10. As mentioned above, the sheet 10 may, but need not be, further be provided with a variety of colors to enhance a camouflage effect of the sheet 10.

Note that the shape of the camouflage sheet 10 is exemplary and not limiting. In fact, the camouflage sheet 10 is flexible, and moreover may be cut to any desired shape and/or size. Accordingly, a camouflage sheet 10 may be applied to various surfaces of a product, e.g., a vehicle, exterior. For example, a camouflage sheet 10 may be cut to conform to a shape and size of a vehicle component, e.g., a hood, a door, etc.

Moreover, a first camouflage sheet 10 may be applied to a product such as a vehicle in combination with one or more additional camouflage sheets 10. FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary vehicle 22 having sheets 10 affixed thereto. FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective view of a vehicle 22 having a plurality of camouflage sheets 10 affixed thereto. As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sheets 10 may generally match or conform to a shape of a vehicle 22 component, e.g., a hood and a trunk lid, in the example of FIG. 4.

Further, where a plurality of camouflage sheets 10 are used to disguise or secure a product, various camouflage sheets 10 may have different respective patterns of shapes 20 formed thereon. As mentioned above, shapes 20 may be randomly formed on a sheet 10, e.g., a variety of shapes of a variety of dimensions could be specified, and then randomly formed on the sheet 10. To further disguise a product, a first sheet 10 having a first random pattern of specified shapes could be formed, and adhered to a first portion of the product, e.g., a right front vehicle door. Then a second sheet 10 having a second random pattern of the specified shapes (or additional or other shapes than shapes used to form the first sheet 10) could be formed, and adhered to a second portion of the product, e.g., a right rear vehicle door. Third, fourth, fifth, etc., sheets 10 could likewise be formed and adhered to a product, varying as described above from at least some other sheets 10 applied to the product.

The camouflage sheet 10 may alternatively or additionally be combined with other camouflage mechanisms. For example, in the case of a vehicle, a vehicle body could be covered with one or more camouflage sheets 10, and one or more vehicle windows could be coated with a reflective material.

In the drawings, the same reference numbers indicate the same elements. Further, some or all of these elements could be changed. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope of the invention should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. 

1. A camouflage sheet, comprising: a reflector layer, wherein the sheet has formed thereon a plurality of three-dimensional shapes.
 2. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, further comprising a reflector backing layer and an adhesive layer.
 3. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, wherein the reflector layer is an elastomeric film.
 4. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, wherein the reflector layer is holographic.
 5. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, wherein at least one of the three-dimensional shapes is formed to a height of approximately three to four times a thickness of the reflector layer together with any other layer forming the sheet.
 6. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional shapes are formed by a vacuum-forming process.
 7. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, dimensioned to match a vehicle component.
 8. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, wherein different ones of the shapes have different respective dimensions.
 9. The camouflage sheet of claim 1, wherein the shapes are randomly selected.
 10. A test product, wherein the test product has affixed thereto at least one camouflage sheet comprising a reflector layer, wherein the sheet has formed thereon a plurality of three-dimensional shapes.
 11. The test product of claim 10, wherein the test product is a vehicle.
 12. The test product of claim 10, wherein the test product further has affixed thereto a reflective coating.
 13. The test product of claim 10, wherein the camouflage sheet is affixed to the product with at least one of a magnet and an adhesive.
 14. The test product of claim 10, wherein the test product further has affixed thereto at least one dummy component.
 15. The test product of claim 10, wherein the at least one camouflage sheet affixed to the test product is a plurality of camouflage sheets.
 16. The test product of claim 15, wherein a first one of the camouflage sheets includes a first pattern of three-dimensional shapes, and a second one of the camouflage sheets includes a second pattern of three-dimensional shapes. 